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April 19, 2008

G19: Red Sox 5, Rangers 3

News of the Bruins' win over Montreal filtered into Fenway as the Red Sox began to bat against Benoit in the bottom of the 8th.

It had been a frustrating night. Lester (6.1-10-3-2-5, 106) gave up single runs in each of the first three innings, and while his control was much better tonight, Houdini was fortunate to strand six Rangers over the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings.

Boston got two runs in the first. Ellsbury doubled and Pedroia (bunting) reached on Jennings's throwing error. Lyndon scored as Ortiz GIDP on a 3-1 pitch, but Manny walked and scored on Yook's double to right center. After that 30-pitch inning, though Jennings morphed into an ace. He retired 16 of the next 18 hitters, including his last 10.

In the 8th against Benoit, Ellsbury popped out. The crowd was roaring over the hockey score and the Sox seemed to feed off the energy. Benoit's next five pitches determined the ball game. Pedroia drove a 1-0 pitch off the Wall for a double. Ortiz smacked the first pitch to Kinsler in short right field. He knocked it down, but it trickled past him into the outfield. Pedroia sprinted around and scored, tying the game at 3-3. Manny then absolutely destroyed Benoit's 1-0 pitch, driving it high off the light tower in left. It was career dong #496!

Papelbon allowed a leadoff single to Blalock, but got the next three for the win.

Although Ellsbury was silent at the plate after his early double, he kept the Sox in the game with a fantastic running catch to end the eighth. After Texas put runners at second and third against Timlin, Lopez came in to face Hamilton (who had homered in the first and singled and scored in the third). Loogy's first pitch was scorched to right-center, but Ellsbury, in a full sprint, backhanded the ball for the out.

Jon Lester is as annoyed by his high walk totals as we are. After his last start on Monday -- 4.1 IP, 5 H, 5 BB, 4 R -- he said it was "the most frustrating time in my whole career ...

It's a continuous battle to not walk people, and it seems like that's what my game plan is every five days is to not walk people. Not necessarily to attack guys or game plan on what pitches I want to throw. It's basically to not walk people, and it just keeps snowballing into something worse. ... It has nothing to do with mechanics. It's just a matter of going out and attacking hitters and throwing strikes. ... Hopefully, I'll go forward next time instead of backwards again.

He doesn't sound overly positive. At all.

Bases on balls has been an issue during Lester's entire professional career. Here's his general progression through the minors (not all stops included):

He's made no progress at all in cutting down on his walks since he was drafted in 2002. He'll be nothing more than a league-average back-of-the-rotation guy until he does.

Jennings allowed six earned runs in 4.2 innings on Monday, which was a tad worse than his two previous starts. He has not faced the Red Sox since 2004. His only start at Fenway came on June 11, 2002 (7 IP, 3 H, 0 R). Only Casey and Drew have faced him more than five times -- and they have lit him up.

David Murphy got his WS ring."It's weird. I don't feel like I was actually on the team long enough to earn it [2 PAs over 3 games], but at the same time, I'm not going to say don't give me a ring. I put it on my hand and I'd be lying if I said my hand wasnt shaking a bit."

That's cute Steph :)Good Karma needed - off the field.Mrs. Sosock (Cathy) is in the hospital again. Her portacath (an implant used for the chemo) has become infected and she was running fevers from 101 - 104 all night. IV antibiotics are helping, but looks like she'll be in for a few days until they feel the infection is in control enough to remove the port. On the plus side, after she was doped up and knocked out this morning, I headed out to the fields and the Rockies got their first win of the season! That's the Winston-Salem National Little League Junior Div. Rockies :) God, did we need it!Missed last nights game but saw highlights on SC. Will miss tonight unless the laptop will work at the hospital.Nice work, Papi! Keep it up!Hope to chat later

Funniest line about the Bruins Canadians Serie - "Who knew those little towels they like to wave were actually white flags? In that sense, the Canadiens fans reminded me quite a bit of Yankees fans, except with a much better command of English." From Chad Finn

Fucking lugo back in. What did lowrie not prove himself yet? are we after a couple more errors? Now that I saw that kid I can't fucking stand lugo. Lugo and timlin are done in my book. Crisp is a good fielder or else he would be done too.

By the way, those sounds on NESN when a run scores - another thing you can blame the Bruins for. That sound first came about this year with the Bruins, whenever a goal is scored. It sounds good, and appropriate, for when a goal is scored, but not for runs in a baseball game.

The upcoming sports schedule is very favorable. No overlaps in the next couple of days! Sox tomorrow at 1:35, then the Celtics start their playoffs tomorrow night at 8:30. Then the Sox on Monday at 11 AM, and then Game 7 in Montreal tomorrow night at 7.

This is the last of the NESN Plus nonsense, much to everyone's delight.